Heart
by Angels Fall Hardest
Summary: Lucius Malfoy enjoys solitude. Pre-War Lucissa. Oneshot.


_I dedicate this to my baby, who is truly the Narcissa to my Lucius. _

_Lucissa is my OTP, hope you all like it!_

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own nor reap any benefit from this story. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers too. :3_

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Lucius Malfoy had finally gotten a moment of solitude, a rare second of asylum he sought after frequently. And, sitting in his armchair in the parlor, away in the corner of the room, Lucius could reflect on the true joy of his life without interruption; the ceaseless joys brought on by his wife.

His Cissa.

The guests of the gala the night before had cleared out, leaving his stately manor in a state of slight disarray.

Though Lucius could tolerate the mess, as long as it meant all those chattering, dimwitted people were out of his house. It was Narcissa that enjoyed the company, not Lucius. Lucius would rather sit in his arm chair at night, drinking from a glass of wine and spending time with his Cissa.

His public could gawk at him from a distance; he didn't need to see their jaws hit the floor three feet from his face in his own home. It was highly undignified and almost made him be embarrassed for them.

Yes, solitude was more comfortable for Lucius; he didn't find it appealing to make a spectacle out of oneself when it could be avoided. Bragging was one thing, but housing these people? Throwing parties for these people?

He found it so exceedingly exhausting to play host to all the bug-eyed, overly excited imbeciles, inviting them into his home and having to answer ceaseless questions about himself that were obvious to even the most untrained eye.

_Yes, he was wealthy. _

_Yes, the apothecary was doing exceptionally well. _

_Yes, the tables were antique mahogany._

But his Cissa liked it, so he bit his tongue and saw it through. Besides, throughout the years people had begin to mistake his mocking smirk for one of genuine interest, so he could at least get away with that much.

Though his Cissa saw through that, she knew of the intention behind his smirk; and it wasn't a rare occurrence when she would casually pass by him at one their social events, lightly tapping him on the shoulder as she walked by, reminding him to keep up the act.

Reminding him to actually try with people.

He felt the corner of his mouth shift, smiling slightly as he recalled one of the many things he loved about his wife.

She truly did bring out the best in him; a day didn't go by where Lucius didn't become a touch more tolerant of the idiots that surrounded him, seemingly coming out of the woodwork. And it was because she reminded him to do it, she expected him to do it.

She expected better of him; it was nice to be thought of in a positive light, to have someone think well of you in a world where people either didn't like you or only pretended to enjoy your company for what you possessed.

No, his Cissa actually liked him, loved him.

Lucius had never had anyone love him before Cissa.

His father certainly hadn't; his mother had been difficult to read. Perhaps she had loved him, though she'd never verbalized the thought.

And during his Hogwarts days, he'd broken many a heart with his sneers and his indifference, only kissing a girl if it somehow benefitted him. He didn't mean to be so cold, and certainly he regretted his actions somewhat, but…those girls were nothing more than either money hungry trollops or girls who lusted after him.

Again, he couldn't blame them for how they acted, but it wasn't love.

He'd pursued Cissa in Hogwarts, one of a few girls to reject his advances. She hadn't approved of his reputation. She determined she deserved better than what Lucius could give.

And she'd been right, so he changed; He became someone new, someone who was able to give more than a shallow peck on the lips.

She'd expected something of him. She saw him as more than every other shallow interpretation of Lucius that existed.

She wouldn't allow him to get away with his calculated and atrocious behavior, she held him accountable for his actions.

And Lucius actually found it nice to know what he did mattered to someone.

She knocked him down a few pegs when needed, and Lucius had to thank her for it. Lord knows where he would be if he didn't allow her to talk him down every once and again.

He had a tendency to blindly dive into things he believed would benefit he and his family later.

Lucius also had a tendency to be horribly wrong.

And there Cissa would be again, trying to build him back up.

She didn't judge him for his idiocy, she merely understood and consoled him, explaining how he could fix the situation.

She would tease him lightly about it later, but it was rightfully deserved.

She was wonderful.

He told her so daily, that she was wonderful, brilliant, a joy. He also told her he loved her more dearly than anyone. He always hoped she knew all these things about herself, that he was merely reminding her of all the positive traits she possessed, which certainly counteracted all his negative ones.

And it was true; Lucius believed that essentially, if it had not been for his Cissa, he wouldn't have ever have even uttered the word love let alone actually feel it.

Cissa had given him a heart.

She was his heart quintessentially.

He heard her footsteps on the stairwell behind him; she'd probably changed and was coming down to spend time with him before she went to sleep, to tease him about his interactions with people, kiss his cheek and tell him he was getting better with hiding his agitation, that she was proud of him, that she loved him.

He raised his gaze to the doorway, watching her as she entered the room, taking the endless pins out of her hair. She smiled at him, shaking out her hair with her fingers.

"What are you thinking about, love?" she asked quietly, walking over to sit in the arm chair adjacent to his.

"Just…everything," he stated simply.

His everything.


End file.
